Stumbled across a great band from Denmark called
Casau Sui from a you tube video which blew me away (see below). The music is a kinda mix of
The Heads,
Hawkwind,
Julie's Haircut and
Can. The wonderful album '
Pewt'r Sessions' is available
here. Consisting of free style jams and more considered pieces, it's a great improv' style release that all right minded heads should check out post haste.
The band seem to have spawned as many offshoots and solo projects as they've released actual albums themselves, and one that caught my eye was Doppler, by Jacob Skott, a beautiful analogue/ Kosmische piece recorded under the El Paraiso 'Impetus' series. (The idea being that a given artist has a specific time improvise a musical piece and come up with the goodies for a future limited vinyl release).
Here's the blurb from the El Paraiso website:-
Doppler is the as-of-yet most conceptual album of El Paraiso Records
‘Impetus’-series, which is the labels imprint of improvisation and
chance collaborations. On Doppler, Jakob Skøtt utilizes two synthesizers
and a chain of effects. That’s it. This may sound like a tedious
exercise, but for an album mostly spliced together by layers and layers
of first takes and unexpected real-time peaks and turns, there is a
unique sense of both structure and texture filling these vibrant tracks.
Although relying heavily on synchronisation (the most important
source of sound being a Prophet 600, the first polyphonic-synth to
implement the midi-synchronisation signal), every track constantly
shifts and turns in unexpected ways. Sometimes creeping drones
seamlessly leave heavy pulsations behind in the dust, other times
abruptly blending melodies into strange permutations of polyrhythms,
never quite settling back into any sort of pattern. An organic element
being a constant presence in these tracks.
The closest reference to this sort of music is of course the school
of german Kosmiche: Cluster, Kraftwerk, Harmonia, etc. But the strains
of John Carpenter & Steve Reich individual brands of modulation
& repetition is just as clearly appar"ent throughout the album.
Topped off with an overall psychedelic tone ala Can or Soft Machine.
Besides drumming in respected stoner-psych outfit Causa Sui, Jakob
Skøtt has been involved in a wide varage of projects. Including drum
duties for Limp (Morr Music) & Chicago Odense Ensemble (featuring
Jeff Parker & Rob Mazurek of Tortoise, etc.). Jakob also operates as
the noted shoegaze-duo Syntaks alongside his girlfriend Anna (Ghostly
International). Furthermore, Jakob is the one responsible for the El
Paraiso visual shtick, as well as having done exclusive live visuals for
such acts as Amon Düül II, Acid Mothers Guru, actress Asia Argento
& the Roadburn festival.
Impetus implies movement. The doppler effect is soundwaves shifting
in pitch as the listener approaches it: Manipulation of sound thru the
use of space!"
Couldn't have put it better myself (so I didn't!).
Great little video of the standout track here....
If I had to compare this release with other artists, I'd say it was a collision of early Human League (circa
Dignity of Labour) with ,
Equinox and a soupcon of
Geogaddi era Boards of Canada and a dash of
Phaedra era Tangs. As I'm sure you'll agree, a tasty soup of sound indeed. Easily compares and indeed outdoes recent releases by Emeralds and ARP, who seem to have cornered this ind of analogue space rock in recent years.
Doppler is a limited edition blue vinyl release of 500 copies, get one whilst they're hot!
If you fancy a listen click
here.
